


an expression of delight

by vaultbug



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, hordak's whipped, season three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24338719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaultbug/pseuds/vaultbug
Summary: He thinks the most beautiful part of her is when she smiles.
Relationships: Entrapta & Hordak (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 182





	an expression of delight

He thinks the most beautiful part of her is when she smiles.

Isn’t that odd, how he likes that part of her. Hordak, conqueror of half of Etheria, indulging himself with the smile of a backworlder. He’s never liked the expression. Never liked what they’ve suggested, couldn’t figure out intentions behind teeth and eyes. Before Etheria, he hadn’t known the complexities of such a simple thing. Facial expression is a privilege reserved for Prime. Prime smiles when he is pleased, smiles at who he loves, who he holds favour. Prime smiles when he is victorious or when something amuses him. Prime’s smile is a priceless gift that means everything for his brothers.

Prime is not on Etheria.

Things are different here. What is so simple as a smile becomes a dangerous, unpredictable threat. They can mean malice. He learns grins, when tight around the corners of the mouth and too many teeth, can mean hostility. Threats. Sadness. The gesture has claim on every emotion to the point of excess where Hordak finds it bothersome, learns to _frown_ and keep his face neutral, blank, angry. He learns to distrust smirks, personally uses them the same way Prime did for his underlings. Smile when pleased at a subordinate. Smile when amused or delighted at a rebel’s idiocy. Do not put more effort into anything else. 

She’s unique in that way then, to make him like something as  foolish as a  _smile_ .

“Pass the hex driver,” she tosses over her shoulder, elbow deep into the guts of the carcass of their portal machine. He obliges and she gives his that secret little grin, lop-sided and genuine. He can’t figure out what it means but it squeezes something tight in him, a little warmth that fills his chest with... He dares not to say it, give it voice. “Ah, I think we have it now! A little more juice and this time, just maybe, this time the portal will work.”

“Do not overexcite yourself on probabilities,” he tells her.

“Oh, but why not?” Entrapta turns back to him and her face beams, hands shaking back and forth excitedly in the air. One strand of her hair seizes him and tugs him in direction to the portal beam – and if it was anyone else, he’d have their head for that. Her, however. Not even rage fills him at the blatant insubordination.“We’re so close for the structure to stabilize. What’s not to be excited about? Even if we’re nowhere near the portal working, it’s still something and I always say, something is better than nothing.”

He steps closer, saying nothing. Entrapta continues humming anyways, barging on as the unstoppable force he’s grown more and more to see her as. “Alright partner,” she exclaims. “Do you want me to hit the switch or you?”

He blinks. “Does it matter?” He responds.

“Well, sorta? I’m not actually sure, really.” She pauses then. “I’ve never had a lab partner before. Do we take turns? I could do the cackling here while you press the button one day, then you could do it the next. Do you cackle? I find it relieves stress.”

“Cackling,” Hordak says.

“You know? The scientist laugh. It’s mandatory in the Etherian Makers Club – or was it the Guild?” She pulls out her recorder then, logs back. A shrill laugh comes from the recorder, vibrant and excited and so, so _Entrapta_ despite the static backlog. Then, he hears a explosion and Entrapta shuts off the recorder with a snap. “See?”

Ridiculous. He tries to imagine himself laughing in front of their device, cannot see it. “I do not cackle,” he affirms.

“ Well, that’s perfectly fine,” Entrapta says and it sounds almost like she’s comforting him.  He’s not sure how to take that. An insult? Or perhaps again, another one of her mannerisms. “ I find it’s hard on the throat anyways. Then I always had to order some sparkling water up and it takes about five of those small cans to clear out the dryness.”  She gestures to the switch again. “Well, do you want to try?”

He looks at it, then to her. She’s barely containing the excitement in her body, bouncing on the heels of her feet and hair fizzled until she looks like a ball of static. He thinks he sees one strand of purple reach out longingly for the switch before she swats it back. Amusement fills him.  


“You can.” He tells her.   


“I can?! Oh!" Like a crack of a gun she's off, double-examining -- scratch that, triple-examining her own handiwork and springing up to the switch with a violent _aha!_ Then, she pauses to look back at him and that grin's back, lazy and happy. "Alright! Trial...hm, what trial are we on?"  


"Twelfth."

"That's it! Twelfth trial. Here we go!"

The switch slams down and there's an agonizing moment, one where Hordak thinks the machine will work. Then it splutters and the three parts crash to the floor, sending both rubble and tools everywhere. When the dust settles, she's standing exactly where she was, clapping her hands. 

He wants to say something about another failure. She interrupts him before that with an excited shriek.

"That was almost a minute, Hordak! Oh, we're getting so closer! No, don't say anything. I just had an idea to max out the First One tech even more. But it's in my lab." She springs up then, gripping the vent with fervor. "Stay _there_ , do not move! I'll be right back. Oh, I'm so excited! A minute, Hordak. It held for a minute!"  


He watches her (warmth, building in his chest) and finds on his own face, a smile has begun to grow.  



End file.
